Do you mean if the vacuum seal is NOT good?
Ok, so I removed the nipple and wrapped it up like a mummy with teflon tape. I then screwed it back on finger tight and a bit more. Used so much tape that it doesn't thread on as much as it used too..........
Removing the co2 inlet hose and placing my finger over the venturi input hole reveals good suction as my finger is still stuck (lol), but I still get tons of 'mist' and bubbles.
The same if I disconnect the hose from the reg assmby. Still get good suction and lots of 'mist'. So, the issue seems to be in the Mazzei connections?
I used teflon tape on the water lines for the Mazzei as well. These are FPT with a barbed 3/4 end. The flex hose also uses steel hose clamps and they are tight as well. No water leaks, but possible an air leak?
I just now AGAIN totally submerged the entire Mazzi AND connections in a bucket of water while it was running and c02 as input about 6-10 bps.
I STARED at this for about 10 minutes and could not see any surface movement, bubbles, NADA. So, the c02 seems to be getting IN okay.
However, would a vacuum leak show this way?[/QUOTE]
No it would'nt because it's sucking in water but this would definitely show no mist at all.
No difference in Mazzei performace that I could tell.
I am really at a loss now.
I SEEM to find no leaks, good pressure (I think) on the Mazzei, but what else can I check?
The new intake from the sump is under water and causing no swirls or air intake that I can see that would account for this.
As always, suggestions are welcomed and tried.
Thanks in advance.
If regulator is off then you have a vacum leak for sure and A Mazzei will not mist if vacum seal is good.
You state a mazzei will not mist if the seal is good.
So, I did a couple of things and waited over 2 minutes on each:
1. Used pliers to tighten the existing mummy setup. Placed finger over nipple fitting.
Result: mist
2. Removed nipple fitting and used finger to plug venturi port. This is a flat surface so was easy to cover.
Result: mist
3. Redid the teflon tape. Unwrapped Tut and redid with a normal amount and a bit extra. Replaced the nipple and tightened as much as possible with pliers. Placed finger over nipple.
Result: mist
All I'm trying to say is if the connections are air tight (good seal) and Co2 is off the Mazzei will not shoot mist, bubbles...etc.
This is not my experience.
Is it possible that your pump is taking in bubbles in your sump? You said you checked, but are you sure they're isn't any turbulence caused by the water falling through the bioballs getting into the pump?
they will actually tend to be misshaped and possibly allow for leaks.
don't know how large your intake line is, but most likely if your intake line is the same diameter as the pump intake itself and/or if the intake line is that same diameter and more than one or two feet long, you are at least going to be limiting your pump's flow capacity quite a bit and pulling quite a vacuum and that could be causing this problem.
The most efficient setup would have a large enough intake line for the pump so that the water just about falls into the pump on its' own rather than the pump having to pull it in.
I would be willing to bet that if that is a 1" intake line and you sized it up to a 2" as an example and routed it exactly the same as you have now, that you would notice a measurable increase in the output flow from your setup.
One thing that I don't hear talked about that I think leads people astray in relation to growing healthy plants is the thought that a plants is growing better if it is pearling than if it isn't.
MrKookm,
Yes, that plumbing setup could improved by just increasing that intake pipe diameter a pipe size or two and then just coupling it down right at the pump intake. It would be a very cheap mod too. That would relieve some of the strain on the pump from trying to pull the water in and allow it to work more efficiently.
Another thing is that the slower the water flows through the plumbing system the less of an effect the resistance of 90 degree bends have on flow, so they would become a complete non-issue with a larger pipe size, but they are probably restricting the flow a bit right now.
I would be willing to bet that if that is a 1" intake line and you sized it up to a 2" as an example and routed it exactly the same as you have now, that you would notice a measurable increase in the output flow from your setup.
In my experience (mainly from working with ponds and pond design in regards to this particular issue), making sure the intake is adequately sized actually affects total pump output more than the addition or subtraction of a few feet of head pressure on the output side of the pump for "high head" pumps. It can actually be quite a dramatic difference sometimes if the intake piping starts out the same size as the intake itself and is increased one or more pipe sizes.
Incrementally undersizing the intake pipes that feed the pump will cut down the flow in the entire system much faster than incrementally undersizing the plumbing on the output side of the pump ever would since the pumps are so much better at pushing water than they are at pulling water.
I am assuming that your pump is a high head pump if it is the same pump that can create 15-16psi of line pressure when your plumbing system is shut off like you have it in your other pictures.